Reporting for Duty
by NCIS7BEXX
Summary: When an agent is needed in Iraq, Vance has to send one of his own. R
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N- hey people. Thanks for all the reviews. A lot of people have been commenting on the spacing but that's just my computer being annoying so I'm sorry the spacing is screwed up. O and for those of you who have read my other fic Forever&Always, Agent Sherling isn't the same person. I just like the name. I hope you like it and please review to tell me whether to continue or not.**_

_**Disclaimer- I own nothing of NCIS. Wish I did but those don't come true very often.**_

Director Leon Vance had just walked into his office at a very tiring 0615, when his phone began to ring. Upon examination of the number, it was determined that the caller is from the Middle East, Iraq to be more specific. Vance reached over to answer the ringing phone and his day became just that much more complicated. Agent Sherling was calling from Bagdad in need of another agent to come supervise a homicide. Instantly Vance decided that it needed to be a professional so he debated between someone from Team Gibbs or Team Balboa. Damn he swore to himself, Balboa and his crew flew out to NCIS Buenos Aires last Friday to investigate a double homicide. Well that left him four agents. All good but he needed to choose carefully. Gibbs couldn't leave. He heard from SecNav that on his hiatus, the entire team fell apart. McGee was a good agent, but not good enough. David was a superb investigator but they just got her back, so that left him with his man.

"Cynthia," he called through his speakerphone. "Have Agent DiNozzo report to my office ASAP."

A muffled "yes director" came back to him as Cynthia put down her magazine and started off to find DiNozzo. She really disliked the new director and wished that Jenny could come back. Well, maybe she could just finish that last page. It is a very interesting article and I'm sure that whatever Agent DiNozzo did could be fixed later, she thought.

Meanwhile, Team Gibbs was congregated in the bullpen catching up on paperwork when Tony got summoned to meet with Vance. McGee instantly perked up, hearing that the bully's going to the principal's office.

"Hey Tony, what did you do this time?"

He asked, almost knowing better than to make eye contact as DiNozzo fumed. McGee had learned the hard way (extra paperwork) that mocking Tony and looking Tony straight in the eye and dissing him were two very different things.

"Stuff it in the barf bag, McGoo. Maybe I'm being promoted. O yeah! Vance must have heard how good of a team leader I was when Gibbs went all mid-life crisis…"

A sharp blow was delivered to Tony's deserving head, eliciting laughter from Ziva, McGee and Ducky, Palmer and Abby who had come up to the bull pen by Vance's orders.

"You know that if you probably shouldn't keep the director waiting Tony."

He then rounded onto everyone else.

"Hey check your e-mail. Then finish up those cases."

Instantly McGee reached for his mouse as everyone except Tony (who was on his way up to Vance's) and Gibbs (who probably went for coffee) crowded around the monitor and silently read, each displaying different reactions. Ducky and Palmer went to sit down, deep in thought and trying not to show how upset they are. Abby burst full into tears and lunged for a sad looking McGee/ McPillow to cry on. Once everyone was comfortable, they looked up to see Ziva staring at the screen, unable to comprehend what it was telling her. Tony. The Tony was going to Iraq. Ziva thought to herself of the number of men she had seen go to a warzone and not come back. Tony can't join that group, she thought.

As the group all started mumbling and comforting one another, Gibbs popped out of the elevator with a cup of coffee and took in his distraught looking team. He wanted to tell them to stop looking pessimistically, but reality was standing in the way so he silently pointed to the catwalk where Vance and Tony, who was carrying a small camo duffle bag, walked out. Vance hastily explained to the team that Tony was leaving for Iraq in half an hour and that a replacement was going to fill in for Tony for three weeks. With that he clasped Tony's shoulder, wished him good luck and went back up to his office.

"Well guys, I guess I'll see you in a few weeks… if I come back cause that Iraqi atmosphere is supposed to be so charming."

Tony said to his teammates, unable to say a proper goodbye. Fortunately he had help with that as Abby came sprinting across the room and jumped onto Tony in a bone-crushing hug.

"Okay Abs. See you soon. No I'm not planning on dying. Yeah. Okay. Abs, I'm having trouble breathing."

The goth quickly released him and ran down to her lab for the comfort of her Mas-spec. McGee and Gibbs then both quickly shook his hand and told him not to die. Neither one of them was willing to admit how much they would care if he didn't come back. Ducky and Palmer bade their farewells and stuck around as Abby came back up for one last hug.

Once fully satisfied that Tony was properly hugged, she went over and leaned on McGee's shoulder. Ziva then quietly with the precision of a ninja stepped over to Tony, unsure what she should say.

"Tony, I have seen to many men go to war and to few come back so please come home. I will miss you annoying movie quotes." 

Tony smiled and looked down at the Israeli beauty in front of him. He reached out and grabbed her hands, holding them loosely at his waist.

He then leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Before I die, I need to know/ do five things and since I'm leaving in fifteen minutes, I can't die on this trip. I need to get Probie to admit that I am better than him in everyway, find out how Gibbs gets the boat out of his basement, see how Abby drinks that Caf-Pow stuff, know if Ducky's stories are true, and I need one more thing that you can give me".

Tears welled at the edge of Ziva's eyes, but she would never let them spill. She loved Tony so much. But what did he need.

"What do you need?" She asked him as he pulled her closer.

"This." He responded as he pulled her into a kiss. She instantly felt herself let her tears go, as she needed this too. Tony carefully held her face in his hands as he embraced her in such a passionate way; she never thought it was the playboy Tony. This was nothing like their undercover kiss, which was rough and only business. This was meaningful. As they broke apart for air, Ziva leaned her face down on Tony's shirt and for the first time in years, felt herself cry.

Tony was speechless. He'd always loved Ziva and the one time he did something about it, she cried. Silently rubbing her back, she looked around at his teammates who stood in the bullpen. Gibbs was smirking while everyone else was pulling out there wallets. Softly tugging at Ziva's hair, he directed her glance to the team to watch their reactions. With an un-Zivalike giggle, she let go of Tony and watched him walk into the elevator, giving himself a head slap as the doors closed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- This was originally going to be a one shot but because of so many amazing reviews, I've decided to expand. So people the story is in your (yes your) hands. Review and tell me what you want. If I get enough of the same idea, then that will be it. On another note, borrowing (and probably not returning) the idea from another AMAZING writer who got it for I don't know how many people so to whoever does it good idea, I will now be having a review hall of fame. Let the Games begin.**

Ziva was angry. Not your typical 'I'm-going-to-kill-you-because-you're-pissing-me-off' anger, but more if an I'm-actually-going-to-go-coldblooded-maniac-and-murder-you, all because of Agent Aldin. She despised Aldin. Not because he was an obnoxious jackass, but because he was replacing HER obnoxious jackass that's supposed to be sitting in at the desk next to hers. Fine, in other words, she missed Tony. A lot. All she could think about was the way they parted. Ziva wasn't sure if she was just one of those women that you kiss and never date again or if she was special. Well she knew that she better be special or DiNozzo shouldn't bother coming back, and she didn't even say that. The first day that Tony was in Bagdad, he got a videoconference from a flushed Ziva and a very, very angry Gibbs. Needless to say, he had to promise to be office appropriate, (Ziva saw he fingers crossed behind his back) and not let her be a fling. That she found out from a letter from Tony because Gibbs had made her leave. Ziva was very curious what Gibbs had told Tony and had to assume that it's probably for the better that she doesn't know.

But now that Tony was due back any time this week, Agent Aldin had made it his personal job to piss of the team as much as he could. These ways included going through Tony's desk and reading his GSM magazines, not bringing Abby caf-pows, asking McGee if he would be in his next book and if he would get paid for it, and worst of all, asking Ziva on a date even after he found out about her and Tony and Ziva was getting pissed.

"Only a few more days until Tony's back and this thing is back to the cave he came from." The team told her, but she couldn't take it anymore. This idiot had stupidly crossed the last straw. Aldin took the letter that Tony sent to Ziva and gave it to Gibbs to read. He said that he thought it was dangerous because of the SWAK symbol on it, but everyone knew it was just to annoy her.

Now. March 14, 2010. Tony has been gone 2 weeks and 6 days and was coming back today. A full day earlier than planned! Everywhere you looked, banners (all made craftily by Abby) hung with cheerful slogans in a very non-cheerful black paint. Ducky is back to wearing his bow-ties because Tony told him that it takes a real man to pull them off, and even Gibbs is acting less Gibbish in anticipation of Tony's long awaited return. The person who has waited for this the most is Ziva. She was deprived of Tony once over the summer, now again. She never wanted it to happen again.

The Team (actually including Vance and Palmer) all stayed late because they told Tony to meet him at the office. Unfortunately, Ziva had already written to him, telling him to meet her at her apartment when he got off the plane and he fully intended to listen to her. So at a quarter to ten, Ziva quietly and stealthily snuck out of the building and drove home faster than she ever had before. Once she opened her door, but no one was there. Panicking, Ziva ran around her apartment in a frenzy trying to find the man she needed to see. She knew that she sent the letter, but where was he?


	3. Chapter 3

Agent Aldin isn't a stupid man. Annoying, yes. Obnoxious, yes. A pest, freak and smartass, yes, but not stupid. Here he was, sitting in Agent Gibbs bullpen right under the Director's overly large nose, just where he wanted to be. Yes Agent Aldin was very pleased, but so was Adbin Faysal. The difference is the same as Thom E. Gemcity and McGee. Faysal, a Kuwait nationalist and known terrorist disappeared from all agency's databases and most watch lists, underwent major plastic surgery and went out to seek revenge on the agency that wouldn't give up on him, NCIS. Particularly one man, Anthony DiNozzo, who wouldn't let his smug picture come down from the wall. Now, Aldin was looking up at his previous self and foul smile snuck onto his lips. DiNozzo was gone. His flight back from Iraq mysteriously didn't show up, but someone did. The remaining members of a Hamas terrorist cell, which supposedly went extinct with the death of Ari Haswari, team leader. Yes, this smelt like revenge and it smelt sweet.

**A/N- Hi! I'm really sorry that I haven't updated recently but I just got this idea and I'm loving it. Please review, it makes me very happy, and a happy writer means that the writer does better on tests and can focus on writing more. Also, you can just be nice and help me get good grades!**


	4. Chapter 4

Ziva was I a panic. Tony wasn't here. Not at NCIS, not at his apartment or hers and not anywhere. He had to of just taken another, later flight or his work isn't done in Iraq or something like that. Finally reaching her destination she jumps out of her car and ran up the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. Once reaching the second floor of NCIS, Ziva bolted into the surprisingly safe and conforting forensic lab. Aby was the only one that could see her cry.

"Abby! Did Tony call you or anything because he didn't respond to my letters and," Ziva's voice cracked as she broke down in tears, Mossad training be forgotten. Abby ran over to her best friend and lend her the shoulder that Ziva knew she could always count on to cradle her tears.

"Don't worry." Abby soothed. "Tony is probably just trying to surprise us or maybe he's trying to prove a point like how much we need him, or"

"Maybe he's still in Iraq. It is very dangerous there." Input Agent Aldin, strolling into the lab as his usual leisurly pace with a his usual know-it-all smirk on his gerbilish face.

"Agent Gibbs sent me down here to see if you identified the poison used to kill Captain Johnson, but I can see you are busy so maybe I'll just come back later. And don't worry Ziva, Tony's been through a lot with his abusive father, suffering from the plague, having his car blown up and not to mention having survived a terrorist training camp," Ziva flinched at that statement.

" Tony's like a cat, he still has six lives left." With that final statement, he left the room but something he said stuck with Ziva, alerting her spidy senses.

"Abby, how does Aldin know that Tony was the one that rescued me from Somalia? The report only said that a NCIS agent cam to my rescue."

****NCIS****TIVA****NCIS****TIVA****NCIS****TIVA****NCIS****TIVA****NCIS****

Tony was syched to finally be going home. To his family. Gibbs. Abby. McGee, and Ziva. Yes he wanted to see Ziva desperately. Sitting on the side of a dirt road, where his plane is scheduled to meet him in exactly five minutes, a large hand covered his mouth as a knife came up to his throat. Spinning around, Tony saw a face that he still had nightmares about in the middle of the night. A flashback stuck him like a lightning bolt. A warehouse rooftop. A cold sneer from far away as the life was snached from his best friend as he stood to the side, helpless.

"You!" Tony rasped, as breathing got harder with the combined forces of the knife pushing against his throat, the chokehold he was forced into and the effects from his near death experience almost five years ago.

"You were at the warehouse when, you helped kill Kate". A sneer appeared upon the mans disgusting and familiar face as if he appreciated the recognition.

"Yes DiNozzo. And now I shall kill you."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- I own nothing. If I did, I would have people give me ideas so I could update more often. Hehe sorry about that.

**Reporting For Duty Ch. 5**

Ziva was digging. She needed to know who this man was. This Agent Aldin was creepy. More then creepy, he was just so familiar. Ziva knew that she had seen him before, but she knows a lot of people. Looking around the squad room, something caught her eye, the NCIS wall of most wanted. Almost every picture had the closure of a piece of red masking tape across it except for three. Obviously, Osama Bin Laden was number one and number two was some Kuwait terrorist. Adbin Faysal looked back, smirking at Ziva's panicked look. He had seen this man before, a long time ago with Ari. But also more recently, like… suddenly it clicked. Adbin Faysal looked exactly like Aldin. He was Aldin! Quickly starting a Google search, Ziva discovered that Faysal had mysteriously dropped of the maps just about the same time Aldin entered. Faysal was a known terrorist in a Hamas group led by Ari Haswari. Ziva gasped. This was the man that Tony was telling her about, the one that he almost caught that fateful day in the warehouse, where Kate died. Panic settling back in, Ziva called Gibbs. She knew that he would have a plan.

(10 hours earlier)

A C130 pulled into Dulles Airport. Ziva, Gibbs, Abby, McGee and Vance were waiting for the one and only Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo to exit the aircraft with a grin on his face, eager to break a certain one of Gibbs rules. Instead, six marines walked down the ramp carrying a large wooden box. Abby shrieks and turns to McGee for a hug. This wasn't any box. It was draped with an American flag. It was a coffin.

**Author's Note- Yeah yeah yeah, I know. Really short but I'm running out of ideas and I have another story. It's called Till Death Do Us Part. My real time is going into this one. Please review. It will make me write faster. If you have any ideas, I will gladly try to add them in. God knows I don't have any of my own.**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- I, NCIS7BEXX, own nothing. Literally, nothing. I wish I did, it would be really nice, but since when has anything nice happened?

**Reporting for Duty Ch. 6**

Gibbs just couldn't believe it. DiNozzo couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. He didn't have permission. The six men who carried out the coffin snapped to attention, saluted their commanding officer who then led them back onto the plane, leaving the team to grieve the loss of one of their own. Abby was completely loosing control. McGee and Gibbs supported the sobbing Goth as she let all of her emotions pour out through her tears. She had been so close to Tony; he was one of her best friend. He protected her from Ari when he shot through her lab, gave her hugs and caf-pows when she wanted them and was basically her lifeline when Kate died. Now that he was gone, Abby just didn't know what to do. Scanning her location, her eyes fell upon a shell shocked Ziva and she felt a surge of pure hatred running through her veins. She hadn't felt this since Ziva had taken Kate's spot on the team and she couldn't take it.

"What kind of emotionless robot are you?" She screamed.

"Tony told you that he loved you. Love! Do you know how hard it is for him to love somebody? No, you wouldn't because love is an actual felling that you wouldn't understand." Ziva was shocked and confused. Her boyfriend, who she did love, was dead and her best friend was screaming at her and she doesn't know why.

"Abby!" Gibbs and McGee exclaimed. They both knew first hand that she got a bit over dramatic when she was passionate about something, and sometimes her passion got a bit out of control and hurt people, as can be shown by Ziva walking back to then NCIS issued sedan with hunched shoulders shaking as she let her tears fall.

"Abs." Gibbs demands.

"Go apologize. Now. I know this goes against my rules but look at her. You really hurt her You know that she cares about DiNozzo and that it's her training to not show emotion. Just tell her that you over reacted. She'll understand. Then drive back to the Navy Yard and update toothpick. Feel free to remind him that he sent DiNozzo to Iraq.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Abby hesitantly opened the passenger seat of the car and slid in, noting that Ziva instantly stopped crying.  
"Look Ziva. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know that you really do care about Tony and you know that I don't usually apologize because it's one of Gibb's rules and those are law, but you're my best friend and I'm sorry that I hurt you. You and Tony do belong together because you're perfect together." Abby finished her little sermon with a big Abby hug.

"Thanks Abby. I appreciate your apology and you are definetly forgiven but could we go back. I think we should inform Director Vance." Ziva said, sitting in shock.

"Yeah, of course. Gibbs said we should tell toothpick too. Also I think I should drive, your in no condition and I also want to live." Abby said, giving Ziva another hug and switching to the drivers seat.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Ducky and Palmer pulled up in the NCIS van, for the first time, not in an argument about directions. They held a solace as a sign of respect for their fallen friend.

"Ah Jethro, let us crack open this coffin and give poor Anthony a final resting place." Ducky said, dismay etched across his face. Pulling out three crowbars, he directed the three younger men to open the coffin and watched as they pushed and pulled until the wood splintered open and revealed a large black body bag. Unzipping it, Ducky found something very particular. Cinderblocks, a dozen cinderblocks but no Tony.


	7. Chapter 7

23:19

**Disclaimer- I don't own NCIS. Not any.**

**Author's Note- I'm sorry for the wait but I just got this idea and had to update. I'm hoping that this chapter will help me pull back into fanfiction because recently I am having major brain farts. On a separate note I dedicate this chapter to my cousin and her new husband. Mazel Tov Jackie and David!**

Tony woke up aching in pain all over but mostly in his head, or more specifically his brain. He didn't know where he is, who the people next to him are, hell, who he is. All he did know is that the people sitting next to him were not speaking English and they were talking about something very urgent and important, hopefully not him. Yawning loudly, then groaning in pain, Tony attempted to sit up in the makeshift bed he's strapped into but failed when a pair of white and very muscular arms pushed him back down and pulling the blanket back over him, literally restraining him from moving and forcing him to sleep which isn't really a bad idea. Rolling over, Tony curled up into a little ball and drifted off into a peaceful land.

Back at the Navy Base, Gibbs stomped up into the Director's office with a cup full of coffee and a couple of choice words for the director. Ignoring Cynthia's warning that the room was occupied, Gibbs roughly pushed the doors aside and almost off the hinges and started shouting before realizing that, despite what Cynthia had said, they weren't alone. Sitting across from the large mahogany desk was Mrs. Vance. Gibbs realized that he had obviously interrupted something important when the Director shouted at him to knock first and get out but was stopped by a soft hand on his shoulder.

"Special Agent Gibbs, I would appreciate if you could just stay for a short second. I may need a witness." She asked kindly, batting her eyelashes that masked the dark brown fire in her eyes.

"Now Jackie, I'm sure that isn't necessary and Gibbs really needs to go back to work, isn't that right Gibbs?" Vance responded, using the tone of voice he usually used with the idiots at MTAC when they dropped his conferences. Before he had a chance to respond, Jacqueline Vance stormed out of the office with the promise that this will be continued later at home, leaving Vance alone with Gibbs.

"Thanks Gibbs, she's been on my case all week about my toothpicks. Says that I'm going to choke on them one day. What are you here for?" Gibbs had anger in his eyes at the fact the director didn't even know why he's so mad.

"Well Director, I'm just informing you that Agent DiNozzo wasn't on the plane. He's missing. Just thought you should know since he was on your mission." Gibbs said with so much sarcasm dripping from his voice that even a robot could detect it. Without waiting for a response Gibbs briskly walked to the door before turning around and saying one more thing to the director knowing that his badge lays on the line.  
" Jenny Sheppard never would of let this happen."

More gibberish. That's all Tony heard. He had woken up, gone to sleep, woken up, went to the bathroom, eaten and gone back to sleep so many times he couldn't remember. Well, that's not saying much because he still can't remember his name. Sighing, he got up and tried to walk but collapsed on the floor, vomiting and waited for one of the mystery men to come and pick him up again. As much as he appreciated them helping him, he really hated all of the independence they took from him, as good as their intentions are. One of them came, pushed him back into bed and stuck something into his arm before he fell asleep again.

Down in Abby's lab, a certain Goth had an epiphany. She was asleep on Bert the hippo when she heard a voice. At first she thought it was just Gibbs or Timmy waking her up but then she realized that the voice was much deeper than theirs. It started whispering to her and she knew she knew that she knew that voice but just couldn't place. The words didn't sound like anything she knew either, like the person was mumbling. The only thing she did understand was the words 'Ocean 11', but what did that have to do with anything. The accent was very heavily east European and sounded German. Then it clicked. Ocean 11 was a very popular movie in Germany. One of the most famous actor's in that movie is Brad Pitt, Tony's doctor. Tony is in a hospital in Germany. That or she had a few to many caf-pows, but this had to work. Tony was the only one who would give her hints in a movie. Jumping up from her bed she ran the appropriate trace before calling Gibbs, Ziva and McGee down to her lab with a simple message.

"I found Tony." Within minutes, everyone was gathered in Abby's lab as she explained her dream and what she had found.

" I checked every hospital in Germany and one outside of Munich documents that they just received a male, Caucasian patient from Iraq with a severe case on pneumonia. It also says that they haven't started any treatment because the patient has very weakened lungs. It's Tony, it has to be!" Abby shouted, jumping up and down, hugging everyone in sight.

"Okay, McGee, you, Abby and Ducky stay here and monitor his progress and keep the director occupied. Ziva, you and I are on the next flight to Munich." Gibbs bossed as everyone jumped into action.

Tony's vision was very hazy and it felt like he had cotton balls stuffed in his ears, his hearing was so bad. Opening his eyes as wide as possible, he saw the blurred shapes of two men and a women. The two men were deep in conversation and the woman was looking around nervously.

They looked really familiar but he couldn't place them. When the man in white finished talking to the older looking man, he and the women thanked him and stood outside his door. The man gently pushed the girl, who Tony could now tell is very pretty, towards his room and she quietly opened the door and sat down on the chair next to his bed and softly held his hand.

"Tony! What happened to you? Abby almost had a panic attack and Gibbs was really grumpy without you and, I really missed you." The attractive women said as a few tears leaked out of her dark brown eyes as she saw that he hadn't greeted her or recognized her.

"Finally! Someone who speaks English."

**Author's Note (again)- Haha! Bet you didn't see that coming and if you did then congrats! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, probably on my next school vacation, so to keep you happy, here's what may or may not happen next:**

a murder

a wedding (not what you think)

a baby (again, not what you think)

a surprise guest

and many more


	8. Chapter 8

02:48

Disclaimer- I, NCIS7BEXX, don't own NCIS. I wish that I did, but I don't. I do now own my very own Bert the Farting Hippo. I was about to name him Squishy but then I realized his name is Bert. Oops.

Summary- Vance sends Tony to Iraq for an undercover mission and before he leaves he kisses Ziva. The replacement agent, Agent Aldin aka Adbin Faysal, is really a part the Hamas cell that Ari ran. Ziva got suspicious and figured it while Tony is kidnapped by a man who was part of the team that killed Kate. Gibbs and everyone else think that Tony is coming home but instead they get a coffin that is empty. Tony wakes up in a hospital in Germany. Abby finds him through physic powers and they all reunite.

The plane ride home was silent. Not an eerie, awkward silence, but a peaceful one. Gibbs and Ducky, who had flown to Germany out of his own pocket when they found Tony to give him a proper check-up, sat in the far left hand corner. Ducky chattered away mindlessly while Gibbs pretended to listen. He was really watching the two agents sitting across from them. Tony lay across three seats with his head softly cradled in Ziva's lap. The two weren't doing any inappropriate (yet), mostly whispering to each other and occasionally Ziva would lean down and place a motherly kiss on his forehead. They were blissfully unaware of their boss giving them the stare, but Ducky wasn't. He knew Jethro as well as the mans own father if not better and with that knowledge Ducky developed the ability to infer Jethro's emotions from simple gestures. For example, every time Tony and Ziva kissed, he would flick the lid of his coffee cut and whenever Tony said something that made Ziva laugh, hew would press his right pinky to his lips. This Ducky found quite interesting and odd, as this message was never deciphered and only two people ever knew what it meant.

_Flashback_

"_Aw c'mon Jen. Decker's out on a food run and assuming he gets lost, which he will, we have a half hour for me to…" The rest of his sentence was swallowed as a finger came up and shushed him as the gorgeous red head in front of him laughed the sweet, wicked and slightly devious laugh that mesmerized him every time. Every time he had her within arms reach, all that he thought about was that long, thing, tempting pinky finger._

_End Flashback_

Now that she's gone, nothing changed. Well, everything did, but not how he felt when he heard that laugh. And now, hearing it come from Ziva and watching his senior field agent's face light up like his had, he became jealous. He shouldn't be, but he was. After all, he's only human (the rumor that DiNozzo started about him being a werewolf being only slightly true). Standing up, groaning slightly at the sudden movement, Gibbs retreated to the front of the plane, forgetting how good of an eye his best friend had.

"Jethro. I can't help but wonder, are you okay?" The medical examiner asked, care written all over his old, wrinkly face.

"Course Duck, what makes you think something's wrong?" Ducky held out something very precious and placed the coffee cup into the hands of its rightful drinker. Ducky gave the younger man a sympathetic look, tracing his line of vision back to the two other occupants on the plane, who were using the time of their boss's absence well. Putting two and two together, Ducky retreated back to his seat to give his friend some privacy, and perhaps stop the two younger agents from really embarrassing themselves, when he heard Gibbs address him, the raw emotion thick in his voice.

"I miss her Duck. Every damn day." Ducky put a comforting hand on the steely tough boss but it didn't really help. Gibbs looked so helplessly pathetic and it was so out of character that Tony and Ziva broke apart and stared sheepishly at their boss.

"Hey boss, you okay?" Tony asked, all aspects of his previous activities disappeared from his mind.

"Yeah DiNozzo, I'm good. I just gotta make a quick stop." Gibbs said as he went to go talk to the pilot, this time his coffee cup firmly grasped in his hands as Tony and Ziva went back to their previous activities and Ducky started chatting into his phone. Tony quietly whispered to Ziva,

"Is anyone even on the other end?" The two of them giggled softly, sneaking peaks at the still talking medical examiner. Forty-five minutes later they touched down in Paris.

"Hey Boss. This isn't DC." Tony wisely observed as the three agents exited the plane, Ducky opting to stay on board and continue reading his book.

"Well thanks for that great observation DiNozzo. I'm so glad your investigative skills are this sharp." Gibbs replied very sarcastically.

"Listen up. Meet back here at sixteen hundred. Don't be late. Don't call me." With that Gibbs left. No questions asked and that's when tony had the best and possibly stupidest idea in a while, a sign of his recovery.

"Zi, let's go. I'm not letting this happen again, someone going all lone wolf. This can't happen again." Tony didn't even have to say anything, Ziva knew him so well and already had McGee on the phone, tracing Gibbs cell. They were off in the city of mystery and love.

Author's Note- People! I need to know what you want! I'm running solely on fluff and caffeine. Review and tell me what you want to see happen.

Review Hall of Fame:

THelocker: Yes, german is really confusing.

NCIS-EW-HP-Gleek: Haha. Just wait.

DiNUTZzo: me to. Will do.

Meilea2010: Do you really think I would just leave him?

TheNaggingCube: I don't know what beano is but anything will work!

Tiva97: Sorry, cliffhangers are kind of my thing.

Pia: You'll have to wait and see.

*If you don't see your name on the list, review and tell me what you think.

Xoxo,

NCIS7BEXX!


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